DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
EU fails to agree on glyphosate license renewal The European Commission has again hit a wall in renewing the approval for the weedkiller glyphosate. The vote comes after 18 months of agonizing over the controversial herbicide. The European Union on Thursday voted on whether to prolong the use of the common but controversial herbicide glyphosate within its borders, but failed to reach a consensus. The proposal to renew the EU license for glyphosate for another five years failed to a reach a qualified majority, meaning a decision has again been postponed, according to lawmakers. The current license is due to expire on December 15, but there is an 18 month grace period. Fourteen countries voted in favor of the renewal, nine against, while five, including Germany, abstained from voting. The proposal could now be referred to an appeal committee, or alternatively the Commission could draw up a new proposal to be voted upon.
Paradise Papers: Apple shifted billions offshore to avoid tax New relevations about Appleʼs tax avoidance strategy are making headlines as the Paradise Papers scandal unfolds further. EU finance ministers are due to discuss the issue during talks in Brussels on Tuesday. Apple has denied accusations inthe Paradise Papers investigationthat it moved its operations from Ireland to an offshore center to avoid tax. Documents cited by German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung on Monday suggested that offshore law firm Appleby, which is based in multiple tax havens, helped the iPhone maker move billions of dollars in revenues collected in Ireland to the Channel Islands to head off increased European Union scrutiny of its tax affairs in Dublin.
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Spainʼs Rajoy travels to Catalonia for first visit since imposing direct rule His trip comes two weeks after he suspended the regionʼs autonomous status
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has used a trip to Catalonia to urge businesses not to leave the region despite its independence push. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy traveled to Cataloniaʼs capital, Barcelona, on Sunday, his first trip to the region since the national government dismissed the regional administration for its unilateral declaration of independence in late October. Rajoy was to attend a presentation by a candidate from his Popular Party at a hotel and was not to make any public appearance in the city. During his visit, Rajoy called on companies not to move their headquarters out of the region, as hundreds have already done amid uncertainty over its future. Rajoy asked "all businesses that work or have worked in Catalonia not to go." His visit comes a day after hundreds of thousands of Catalans protested against the jailing of regional officials for declaring independence on October 27 after a banned referendum. Police estimated the number of protesters at 750,000. The march was called by Cataloniaʼs two main grassroots independence groups under the slogan "Freedom for the political prisoners," after their
leaders were remanded in custody on charges of sedition last month. The push for independence by the proseparatist officials has plunged Spain into political crisis. It has also caused concern in the European Union, which fears knock-on effects among its member states if Catalonia pursues a course toward secession and has backed Rajoyʼs government in its actions against the region. Eight members of the sacked Catalan Cabinet are currently detained and facing charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds. A further six officials charged with similar offenses were granted bail this week by Spainʼs Supreme Court. Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemontand four ex-ministers, meanwhile, remain in self-imposed exile in Brussels, where they are awaiting a hearing on possible extradition back to Spain after Madrid issued a European arrest warrant for them. Puigdemont and his aides say they are staying in Brussels because they fear they will not receive a fair trial in Spain.
US absence felt on first day of UN climate summit As the 23rd annual UN climate conference kicks off in Bonn, people are already jostling to fill the climate power vacuum left by a retreating United States. The small city of Bonn, Germany, was inundated with thousands of delegates today for this yearʼs UN climate summit. Over the coming two weeks, negotiators will hammer out the rule book for the Paris climate agreement reached two years ago. The VIPs will not arrive until next week for the intensive final days of the summit. But already, the politicians are gearing up for a battle between people claiming to speak for the United States. Donald Trump announced earlier this year he will pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement. However, the withdrawal process takes three years, leaving the United States in as a signatory until then. President Trump is sending a small delegation to Bonn that will try to continue to shape the rules of the agreement.
Scottish parliament evacuated after suspicious package found The Scottish parliament building has been evacuated following the discovery of packages containing white powder. Parliament later announced that afternoon sessions would go ahead as planned. Scotlandʼs parliament building was evacuated on Tuesday after at least one package containing white powder was found. A package containing white powder was sent to a Conservative Party lawmaker, a source at the parliament told Reuters news agency.
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